Do Watches Work In Space?

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Watches are fascinating devices, and the way they work is a true marvel of engineering. However, most watches can be sensitive to changes in weather and temperature, and they can be easily susceptible to damage from shock, impact, or even from dust. These factors, combined with the fact that some watch mechanisms rely on gravity to function well, lead some timepiece enthusiasts to wonder if watches work in space.

Watches do work in space, despite the harsh environment, radiation, and lack of air and gravity. All mechanical watches work well in space, but those that rely on gravity to wind automatically must be manually wound. The Omega Speedmaster is the only watch certified for space by NASA.

Watches work with a very intricate system of internal mechanics, and if even one component of the internal working of a watch fails or does not function correctly, the entire timepiece will fail. Let’s explore whether or not watches work in space and identify some of the watches that have taken a trip off the planet.

Do Wristwatches Work In Space?

Watches are interesting and highly precise machines that require specific conditions to perform at optimum levels. The internal mechanics of these devices are very delicate, and watches usually rely on external forces such as gravity for certain aspects of their functionality. With this in mind, is it possible for watches to work in space?

The truth may be surprising to some, but watches do work in space. In fact, watches routinely travel to space on the wrists of astronauts and function perfectly well on the international space station.

Watches have been to the moon, and they have been outside in the vacuum of space while astronauts perform space walks for experiments and make repairs to their spacecraft.

Some watches function less well in space, and some watches that require the force of gravity to wind automatically may need to be wound manually instead, but most watches will work in space.

Within the international space station, the temperature and air pressure conditions are manufactured to be comfortable for humans, which means that these conditions will not cause any harm to watches.

The lack of gravity in space is not a factor for most watches, as the mechanisms that drive most modern watches are entirely mechanical and are calibrated, not requiring forces such as gravity or air pressure to function.

Most high-quality modern watches are so well made that the lack of air pressure in space, the extremely cold temperatures, the lack of gravity, and even the dust present in locations such as the moon do not cause any harm to the device.

Watches do work in space, and there are very few models that are negatively affected at all by this environment, but there are some models of watch that work far better in space than others, and there is only one watch model that NASA certifies for space missions.

However, the conditions in space are usually not enough to cause any modern watch to stop functioning.

Can Watches Withstand The Environment Of Space?

Space is a vastly different environment from that of the earth. Every aspect of the environment that is space is harsh in every way. There is no air, no gravity, temperatures fluctuate wildly, and there is an immense level of radiation from various dangerous sources, such as the sun.

If a watch can survive the lack of gravity and air pressure in space and continue to function, is it possible for a watch to survive the general environment in space and continue to tell the time and perform other functions accurately?

There are some exceptions, but most watches can survive the intense environment of outer space, and every watch can survive within the environment of the international space station and other spacecraft.

The o ly watches that do not perform well or may not function at all are some automatic mechanical watches and quartz watches.

Some automatic mechanical watches rely on gravity for the mechanism that automatically winds the watch. Any automatic mechanical watch that does not rely on this function will perform well in space, and most of these catches can be wound manually if necessary, which means they can be used in space anyway.

Quartz watches typically rely on a battery to function. These batteries are not as hardy as the watch itself, and the extreme temperatures and the presence of intense radiation present in outer space are likely to cause the battery to fail. Therefore, the watch will fail to function as well.

The materials that modern watches are made from are all very tough and generally can function well and remain intact ins pace.

Any watch that remains within the international space station will function well, as this environment is temperature controlled, and has good air pressure, while also keeping all of the contents of the station protected from radiation and other dangerous factors.

Which Watches Have Been To Space?

Watches can work in space, and they can work in space well. Several watches have been sent to space, and many that have been thoroughly tested in space-like conditions to ensure that they will function on space missions.

Here is a short list of some of the most notable watches that have survived the trip to space ad functioned well while there:

The Omega Speedmaster

The Fortis Cosmonaut Chronograph
The Sinn Chronograph 142
The Seiko Speed-Timer 6139-6009

The Breitling Navitimer Ref. 809
The Heuer Stopwatch 2915A
The Rolex GMT-Master

The Strela Vokshod Chronograph
The Fiyta Spacemaster
The Bulova Chronograph

The Accutron Astronaut

Other models have made the trip to space and functioned well, but these are among the most notable. These watches have several features that astronauts require during missions. Many people who go to space prefer using a watch with a 24-hour face, as the way the days and nights occur on the international space station can be difficult to manage otherwise.

The only watch that is certified by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for space walks or even for use in space, in general, is the Omega Speedmaster, as this watch managed the space testing that Nasa conducted far better than any other watch model available.

Conclusion

Watches do work in space, and most modern watches do not have any detrimental experiences in space whatsoever. Modern analog watches are made so well that they function perfectly in space, despite the harsh environment and abnormal operating conditions.

There are several watch brands and watch models that have been to space. The only criterion is that the watches should be well made and precise, and they should not rely on any digital components, as these are unlikely to work in space.